Desk.



H. M. LEESE.

DESK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1909.

Patented septh 2o, 1910.

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H. M. LEESE.A DESK.

APPLIouIoN FILED Nov. 22, 190s.

970,933. 1 awnd sept. 2o, 1910.

' WIT/VESSES ATTURNE V8r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'HARRY M. LEESE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DESK.

Specification of `Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

connect with the rods C2 between their ends,

Be it known that I, HARRY M. Lnnsn, a with the lower ends of the levers C3 operatcitizen of the: United States, and a resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in the locking means for desks and relates particularly to that class of such devices illustrated in my former Patent No. 896,028 of August 11, 1908; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of a portion of a desk provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged sectional elevation showing the locking devices at one side of the desk with the locking slide rod depressed and the cover in locked position. Fig. 3 a similar view showing the slide rod elevated and the cover unlocked. Fig. 4 is a detail section through the operating device and its locking means showing the key in side elevation. Fig. 5 isa detail section on about line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows the invention embodied in a flat top desk. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view showing parts of the operating device detached. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of the slide rod and one of the guide plates. Fig. 9 is a detail plan view showing the upper end of the slide rod and the plate receiving the same, and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing an operating device having one arm only instead of two arms, as shown in Fig. 7.

The desk may be in general respects of ordinary construction, and in Fig. 1 I illustrate the invention applied to a rolltop desk having a slatted cover A and drawers B in vertical tiers on opposite sides of the center of the desk.

The slatted cover is provided mid-way its ends with an operating device which may be double armed for desks having tiers of drawers at both sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, or when the desk has a tier of drawers at one side only a single armed operating device as shown in Fig. 10, may be employed. The operating device, as shown, comprises a barrel C having the arms C to which are connected rods C2 which extend thence in opposite directions and connect with levers C3 which are pivoted at their upper ends and ing upon bearings D provided at the upper ends of the slide rods D so that the adjustment of the operating device to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6 will depress the slide rods into position to lock the drawers as more fully described hereinafter, and the said rods D will be lifted by their springs D2, which bear below them, when the levers C3 are drawn to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, thus releasing the drawers.

The levers C3 are provided with spurs or projections C4 which move when the part-s are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into engagement with spring actuated bolts E, see Fig. 2, in such manner as to lock the cover A, in the construction shown in Fig. 1, in closed position so long as the operating device is in the position shown in said Fig. 1. This construction is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein it will be noticed that when the cover A is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 2, the bolt E will, engaging with the lever C, hold the cover A in closed position until the lever C3 is swung toward the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 to release the slide rod.

The bolts E do not protrude beyond the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the slide rod, as it is forced upwardly by the spring D2, may by engagement with the bevel surface E at the lower side of said bolt, push the bolt back to permitthe adjust-4 ment of the slide rod to the elevated position shown in Fig. 3. s

The barrel C of the operating device has a slot C10 to receive the key F and at its rear end the said barrel has an angular socket C to receive an angular bolt Gr when the latter is projected by its spring G as shown in Figs. l1 and 7 of the drawings, the bolt G being fitted in the casing `G2 secured to the cover A in the construction shown in Fig. 1. In the operation of this construction, it will be noticed that when the bolt G is projected, as shown in Fig. 4, into the angular opening C of the operating device, it will lock the said device from turning whether the same be in the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the slide rods are locked, or whether it be in unlocked position.

The key F is arranged at its inner end F to engage with the outer end of the bolt so that 1n insertin the key it will first push back the bolt releasing the operating device, so the latter can be further turned by the action of the key.

vThe slide rod D is provided at its upper end with the bearing D in the form of a lateral arm and is provided belowthe bearing D with a lateral arm D3 projecting in the opposite direction from the bearing D and guiding stud D4 which locks the middle drawer H. On the oposite side of the rod D from the arm DS, I provide for each of the drawers of the corresponding tier, a lateral arm D5 which carries the locking studs DG of the respective drawers. The studs D4 and D6 have a movement independently of their slide rods so that when the slide rod is adjusted to lock one or more of the drawers, the locking devices corresponding to other drawers may be out of locked position andI preferably provide springs, as shown at D7 and D8, for actuating the studs and pressing them normally to locked position so that the drawers cannot be unlocked by turning the desk upside down.

The construction shown in Fig. 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. l, so far as locking the side tiers of drawers is concerned, but the said Fig. 6 illustrates a flat top desk and the operating devices are supported by the desk frame, as shown in Fig. 6, instead of by the cover, as shown in Fig. l. Manitestly the operating devices may be substantially the same as illustrated in Fig. l. i The guide plates I,A see Fig. l, are secured to the desk frame and are provided with depending spaced apart lugs I between which the arms D5 of the slide rod operate, as will be understood, from Figs l and 8 of the drawing.

The special construction of the key operated means for locking the rocker, forms the subject-matter of a separate application for Patent No.' 559,581,1iled by me May 5, 1910.

I claim:

l. The improvement in desks herein described, comprising a desk frame, a vertical series of drawers therein, a vertical locking rod provided at its upper end with a lateral arm forming a bearing, a series of studs carried by said rod and movable with the same and also having a limited movement independent of the said rod, springs actuating said studs to operative position, a cover for the desk, an operating 'device in the form of a rocker carried by the cover, means for locking said rocker against rocking movement, a lever pivoted at its upper end to the cover and swinging at its lower end into engagement with the lateral arm on the slide rod whereby to depress the same, a connection between said lever and the rocker whereby t-he latter may operate the lever and a locking means carried by the desk frame and engaging with the said lever to lock the cover in closed position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a desk frame, a series of drawers and a movable cover, of a slide rod for locking the drawers, a swinging lever carried by the cover and operating said slide rod to locked position and means carried by the frame for engaging with the lever to lock the cover when closed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a desk frame, a series of drawers and a movable cover, of a slide rod for locking the drawers, a swinging lever carried by the cover and operating said slide rod to locked position, means carried by the frame for engaging with the lever to lock the cover when closed, a rocker carried by the cover and a connection between said rocker and lever, substantially as set forth.

t. The combination of a vertical series of drawers, a sliding rod havingmeans for locking the same, a swinging lever for operating said slide yrod into locked position, a rocker connected with said lever for operating the same and key-operated means for locking said rocker, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the desk frame and a vertical series of drawers and a cover, of a slide rod having means for locking the drawers, a lever pivoted to the cover and arranged to operate the slide rod, means for operating said lever and a bolt carried by the desk frame and engaging with said lever to lock the cover, substantially as set forth. l

HARRY M. LEESE. Witnesses: PERRY B. TURPIN, CHAs. A. PETTIT. 

